Campus Visits
We strongly recommend campus visits, if possible. Such visits increase your familiarity with the colleges you’re considering, help determine fit, and provide invaluable information as you build your college list. Additionally, campus visits demonstrate your interest in that particular college and help you decide where/if you might want to apply Early Decision. A campus visit usually includes a student-led tour (approximately one hour) and an information session led by an admissions officer (also approximately an hour). We recommend visiting campuses starting as early as spring of sophomore year to begin to understand the differences across types of campuses. Visiting a cross section of colleges in terms of size, such as Small (under 3,000 students), Medium (3,000-8,000 students), Large (8,000-20,000), or Extra-Large (over 20,000), and environment (city, town, rural) early in the process can be very informative and shape list development.
Some colleges offer the opportunity to have an in-person interview during a campus visit after junior year. If you are a rising senior or senior and on-campus interviews are available, you can decide whether you’d like to schedule one while there. If you don’t feel prepared at that point, don’t worry because the colleges that value interviews will generally offer other options, such as virtual interviews or interviews with alumni. Interviews are a great chance for a college to learn more about you and for you to learn more about the college. Doing some interview practice beforehand is always a good idea.
When possible, plan to visit colleges when students are on campus. Most colleges finish classes in mid-May and return for the fall semester by the end of August. Spring vacation dates will vary across colleges; be sure you know if the college you plan to visit is in session before you plan a trip. Each college’s website has a “visit” tab on the admissions page where you can check what days are available for scheduled events and tours. Many colleges offer prospective student days or open houses which are frequently scheduled over long holiday weekends—definitely plan ahead if you have a weekday off from high school! Visits during the summer, while helpful, are usually not quite as useful, but may be the only option for international students or those with heavy year-round commitments, such as athletes.
Planning college visits can be time-consuming. As noted, the best place to start is on the “visit” section of the college website. You can use an app like Google Maps to plot the route you will take from one campus to another, and you can often find recommended hotels and motels nearby on college websites. Tours and information sessions are usually offered Monday through Friday and sometimes on Saturdays in the busy season. Since tours are rarely offered on Sundays, some colleges offer a self-directed walking tour option; maps are often provided near the entrance to the admissions office or on the website. Typically, students sleep late or go to the library to work on weekends, so the campus can seem quiet at these times.
Do some research on the college before you visit (and ALWAYS before you interview!). Reviewing their website to become familiar with their academic programs will make your visit more meaningful and may identify some good questions you could ask during the tour or information session.
If you are an athlete interested in playing a sport in college, you can reach out to a coach and request a meeting to learn more about their program and recruiting process, or an orchestra director to see if you can sit in on a rehearsal if you are a musician, or a department chair if you have a specific academic interest. A typical tour will not show everything—it’s more like a highlight reel—so if you have a particular interest or talent, it is 100% acceptable to ask ahead of time to see something specific.
When you arrive on campus, be sure to allow enough time for the tour, information session, and an opportunity to walk around on your own. We do not encourage you to visit more than two colleges in one day as it’s a lot to take in and remember. Always sign in at the admissions office so there is an official record of your visit. Wear comfortable shoes and be on time.
Here are some questions you might want to ask a tour guide:
What did you do last weekend?
What extracurricular activities are most popular? Which ones are you involved in?
Do the students support the athletic teams?
Do students attend the dance/theater/comedy/a cappella performances?
How much time do you spend studying each night? Where do you like to study?
Do you find your professors are accessible outside of class?
How are tests and exams administered? Does this college have an honor code and does that matter to you?
What made you choose this college?
What is your favorite thing about being a student at this college?
If you could change one thing here, what would it be?
If you attend a group information session, it’s best to ask questions of a general nature rather than focusing on your own particular situation. You may approach an admissions officer with your specific questions once the session has ended.
Pick up the college newspaper or other publications, which often highlight social issues on campus and provide a good idea of what the dominant concerns are within the student body. As you walk around the campus, look at the bulletin boards to get a sense of student life and activities.
Try not to let the weather or an uninspiring tour guide influence your impressions. A rainy day can make a beautiful campus seem gloomy, and a tour guide you don’t connect with is just that and not a reflection on the whole student body! Pay attention to the other students you see on campus and be sure to speak to some after the tour is over. Most students love answering questions and sharing their enthusiasm! Ask them what they like most about their college, what are some of its weaknesses, and what they consider to be most important about their college life. Try to get a sense of the social atmosphere, the vibe, the general intellectual level, and how you might fit in. If you have time, try to get a snack at a campus eatery or even a meal at the dining hall (some allow you to pay at entry and some admissions offices even hand out vouchers for a free snack).
Take notes on what you learned about each college and take pictures. Your reactions, impressions, points of interest, and other details will contribute to your future decisions so it’s important to keep track of them. Your notes can also be very useful when writing supplementary essays about why you are applying to a specific college.
If you can’t visit in person or you just want to start researching, start spending time on college websites. Attend virtual events posted on the Admissions pages where you can also find recorded info sessions, virtual tours, and much more. When exploring a college website, be sure to read sections about academics, student life, and college news and events to get a deeper sense of what is happening on campus. Keep in mind that while websites are marketing tools, they are filled with abundant information. Attend any college fair that is convenient for you and seek out and engage with the representatives from the colleges that interest you.
College representatives travel extensively to visit high schools in their regions, so make a point of meeting with individual representatives when they come to your school or area. Often, the person who is visiting your high school or area is the same person who will read your application. Your high school will have a schedule indicating when campus representatives are planning to visit. Be sure to sign in so there is a record of your attendance. These sessions can be very informative and productive, especially if you come prepared with questions.
Most of all when visiting colleges, have fun, try to imagine yourself as a student on each campus and learn as much as you can during the short time you are there. Your goal is to determine which ones will be a good fit for you—where you can be both successful and happy!